Disposable shoe covering

ABSTRACT

A protective foot covering preferably of a single length of flexible material, which is made of a pair of opposed panels joined together along a bottom edge and forming a sole portion, the panels are joined together along a front margin to enclose the front of the foot covering, and there is provided an integral extension from the side panels extending rearwardly which forms a tie member.

0 United States Patent 1 [111 3,869,647 Cooper Mar. 4, 1975 DISPOSABLE SHOE COVERING 31402.323 9/1968 Longstreth 317/2 B [75] Inventor: Richard D. Cooper, St. Hilaire,

Q e Canada Primary E.\'aminerL. T. Hix [73] Assignee: Johnson & Johnson, New

Brunswick, NJ. 22 Filed: Dec. 7, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT [211 App]. No; 313,019 A protective foot covering preferably of a single length of flexible material, which is made of a pair of opposed panels joined together along a bottom edge [52] U.S. Cl 317/2 B and forming a sole portion, the panels are joined [51] Int. Cl HOSf 1/00, HOSf 3/.00 gather along a from margin to enclose the from of the Field Of Search B, R foot covering, and there is provided an integral exten sion from the side panels extending rearwardly which [56] References Cited forms a tie member UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,387,180 6/1968 Zipf Ill 317/2 B 9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures DISPOSABLE SHOE COVERING This invention relates to protective foot coverings.

More particularly, this invention relates to disposable coverings adapted to be used as-protective shoe coverings and to a method of making such products.

Protective foot coverings are employed for various purposes in hospitals or similar institutions where it is required that foreign matter from shoes be prevented from contaminating surrounding areas. One typical use of such products is to employ the disposable foot coverings in operating rooms where the operating room personnel must prevent contamination of the room and other materials in the room from foreign matter carried by the shoes or boots of the personnel entering the room. In addition, such coverings also protect the footwear of the personnel from becoming soiled due to the contact with, for example, soiled or contaminated operating room materials such as wet sponges, towelling, etc. Moreover, depending on their particular use, the foot coverings are also employed to dissipate or reduce the possibility of static generation between the shoes worn by personnel and the floor surfaces; the latter requirement is essential when the foot coverings are employed in operating rooms where gaseousanaesthetic mixtures are employed.

The art contains many proposed variations of foot coverings suitable for the above purposes; typically they are made of suitable flexible material providing the characteristics required for any given use. Typical of such disposable foot coverings are those illustrated in Canadian Pats. Nos. 540,425; 692,956; 770,227; 827,773, etc. In general, such disposable foot coverings as taught in these and other references are comprised of several component parts which are assembled together by suitable means, and provided with suitable tieing means added to the resulting product. Thus, such foot coverings are formed from an assemblage of several components, requiring several manufacturing steps to provide a completed product.

Applicant has now developed an improved foot covering comprised of a suitable length of flexible material, with integrally connected tieing means which compared to the prior art, is very simple and economical to manufacture, thus eliminating extra manufacturing steps. More particularly, in accordance with this invention, there is provided a novel disposable foot covering of a single length of flexible material, the foot covering having a pair of opposed similar panels joined together along one side thereof forming therebetween a sole portion, the panels being further joined together about a further side adjacent the sole portion to form between the panels a partially enclosed area adapted to at least partially enclose a shoe or similar article. Each of the panels is provided with an integral strap connected thereto along the side adjacent the sole portion, in such a manner that the resulting pair of straps are adapted to be interconnected to retain the foot covering about the shoe or similar article of footwear.

. folding the material along its longitudinal axis to provide a pair of opposed continuous panels integrally connected together along one side thereof, severing predetermined lengths of the folded sheet material from the continuous length of such material, to simultaneously form a front portion for the foot covering and a pair of integrally connected tieing members, and subsequently securing the free edges of the front panels together to form therebetween a partially enclosed area adapted to at least partially enclose a shoe or similar article. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the disposable foot coverings may be manufactured by providing a pair of opposed lengths of sheet material, bringing the pair of opposed lengths of sheet material into register and juxtaposition, and subsequently severing and forming the foot coverings as described hereinabove. In this alternate aspect of the invention as opposed to providing a single continuous length of sheet material which is folded about its longitudinal axis to form a pair of opposed panels, each panel is formed by a separate length of sheet material.

In this alternate embodiment, it is therefore necessary to secure the panels together along their longitudinal axis (where they would be otherwise integrally connected through the use of a single length of sheet material) to form the sole portion of the disposable foot covering.

According to a preferred embodiment of the disposable foot covering products of the present invention, they are preferably comprised of a single length of suitable flexible material; however, as indicated above with respect to the method of the present invention, they may be comprised of a pair of substantially similar panels joined together about their longitudinal axis.

The foot coverings of the present invention may be made from any suitable material having sufficient flexibility to permit conformity of the material to the footwear being worn. To this end, such materials include, by way of example, woven and nonwoven fabrics, thermoplastic films, resinous coated woven and nonwoven fabrics as well as resinous coated papers, etc. By way of specific example, specific materials particularly suitable for forming the foot coverings include gauze, nonwoven fabrics of rayon or the like fibers, or mixtures of rayon and similar fibers with pulp fibers, resinous film materials such as polyolefins (polyethylene and copolymers of ethylene with other comonomers), polypropylene and copolymers thereof, polyvinyl chloride, etc. and resinous coated papers such as polyethylenecoated paper, polypropylene-coated paper, etc.

Within the requirements of the materials possessing sufficient flexibility to conform to the outline of a shoe or similar article of footwear, the thickness of the materials employed to form the products of the present invention may vary considerably, depending on the type of material and the wear characteristics required in such products. Typically, the thicknesses may vary from 0.5 mil (for example, with various types of polyolefin films) to 6 mils or more.

In choosing a material for the manufacture of the products, the intended use of the product is important in determining the characteristics required as to impermeability or permeability, moisture resistance and other similar characteristics required. To this end. any particular material chosen by be provided with additional characteristics imparted to the material by treatments with appropriate compositions for example, moisture resistance can be provided by treating the materials with repellent agents, etc. In the case of foot coverings for hospital use, such as in operating rooms, preferred materials are resinous-coated nonwoven fab- 3 rics, such as polyethylene-coated fabrics, which provide dust impermeability and moisture resistance.

In still other forms of the foot coverings of the pres ent invention, other materials such as metallized plastic or fabrics (woven or nonwoven) materials can be employed, or in still other cases, various types of metallic foils, (such as aluminum and tin) can be suitably formed into the foot coverings of the present invention. Such materials find application in various fields of use where the properties imparted to the covering by the metallic components are required.

The disposable footcoverings may also be provided with conventional expedients common in this art, as for example, the provision of conductive strips attached to the coverings as disclosed in the above-mentioned patents, etc. These expedients can be incorporated into the products of the present invention where required.

The foot covering productsof the present invention may be made in any desired sizeand proportion to accommodate varying shoe or foot sizes for the intended users. However, for most purposes, a single size has been found to suffice for most types of shoe coverings, due to the nature-of the products of the present invention. To this end, the longitudinal length of the material forming the foot coverings will generally correspond to the length of the actual foot covering, including the tieing members, resulting from that material; and where the length of the covering is greater than that of the shoe size, the excess material will merely be gathered about the rear of the wearers foot or shoe once the covering is mounted in place and the tieing members tied together. For this reason, several different size requirements are not essential, as compared to prior art arrangements where, due to the nature of the foot covering constructions, various size foot coverings had to be provided.

from the panels. The tieing members preferably are integral members extending from the upper portions of the panels, and preferably terminate at a distance above the portion of the panels forming the sole area of the foot covering. To this end, a preferred embodiment .of the foot coverings of the present invention is where the tieing members terminate at a distance approximately at the point where the side panels form the sole portion of the foot covering when in use.

The length of the tieing members, extending in a rearward direction of the foot covering, may vary depending on the type of tieing connection desired to mount the foot covering on the users shoe or foot. To

this end, the tieing members may have a length sufficient only to permit a knot or similar connection to be made at the back of the users foot; alternately, the tieing members may be of a longer length whreby a knot or similar tieing connection can be made by crossing the tieing members at the back of the users foot, and I permitting the knot to be formed at the front of the foot covering.

If desired, each tieing member may be provided with suitable mating closing means as the sole means of tieing the respective members together in place of directly knotting such members together. Any suitable means may therefore be attached to the tieing members, such as cooperating dome fasteners, or other similar snaplock means.

ing at a point approximately at the level at which the side panels formithe sole portion of the foot covering, with an upwardly and rearwardly extending taper to thereby form tieing members of a decreasing widthsin the rearward direction of the foot covering.

As mentioned hereinbefore, the pair of panels forming the foot covering products of the present invention also form the sole portion of the foot covering and provide at the same time a protective covering embracing the upper area of the foot of the user. To this end, each panel which is preferably substantially identical with the other, will have a height sufficient to provide a desired height for the foot covering while providing'a sole portion of a desired size. Thus, the panel heights may vary depending on the intended use of the product; in the case of hospital or other similar applications, the foot covering is preferably of a height to extend upwardly to completelysurround the foot of a user. If desired, the height of the panels may be sufficient to extend upwardly a distance to at least partially the ankle area of a users foot, particularly in applications where it is required or desired-to completely seal a wearers foot.

In a preferred embodiment, the foot coverings of the present invention preferably have a contoured front portion which will permit general conformity to the front and upper areas of a wearers foot or shoe. To this end, the fronts of the respective panels preferably have substantially similar inwardly and upwardly extending tapering margins. Still further, a desired form of this embodiment is to provide a substantially vertical first margin extending from the bottom or base of the respective panels, which vertical margin has a height in the lay-flat condition corresponding approximately to the width of the sole portion formed by and between respective panels when the covering is in use; the vertical margin blending into an inwardly and upwardly extending margin in which the degree of inward and upward taper is sufficient to provide a general contour conforming to that of the foot or shoe of a user. The length of the vertical margin and the degree of inward and upward taper of the other margins, will vary depending on the size and type of foot covering intended, as well as its application or intended use. i

A particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention is to provide the foot covering products, which when in the lay-flat condition have panels which at their front margins, are provided with a contour corresponding to the contour of the margins at the rear of the panels and defined in part at least by the tieing members. In this manner, it has been found that not only do the products of the present invention have the required conformity but further, readily lend themselves to high speed in-line production by the method of the present invention, as hereinafter illustrated in greater detail.

Where the foot covering products of the present invention are comprised of a single length of sheet material folded along its longitudinal axis, it is only necessary to secure, at least in part, thefree front marginal edges of the panels. In the case where the foot covering is comprised of two separate panels, in addition to front margins, the bottom margins of the panels will be secured to form a continuous bottom or sole portion for the foot coverings. In either case, the free margins of the panels are secured together by any suitable means such means including, for example, adhesives, stitching, staples, cooperating fasteners (e.g., dome fasteners), etc.

Having thus generally described the invention, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments, and in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a product according to the present invention shown mounted on a users foot;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the product of the present invention, the product of FIG. 2 being that shown mounted on a users foot in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of material used for forming the products of the present invention and showing in general terms the outline of the individual foot coverings;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a first operation in one embodiment of the method of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a section taken along the line 6-6 of FIG.

5'. 6 Referring in greater detail to the product illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, there is shown a preferred embodiment in which the product is formed from a single length of suitable flexible material. In this instance, the product illustrated is adapted to be used as an operating room foot covering, wherein it is desired to prevent contamination from a users foot or shoe and to prevent soiling of the users foot apparel.

The material from which the product illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 is made of, in this example, is a polyethylene film backed nonwoven material, having a thickness of approximately 3 mils.

The product includes a pair of opposed panels indicated by reference numerals 10a and 10b, which in the lay-flat condition are of a substantially identical nature. Each panel 10a and 10b, due to being formed from a single length of material, is integrally connected at the lower or bottom edge 12 to form a continuous closed bottom margin. Conversely, the panels 10a and 10b have free top margins 14.

In use, the panels 10a and 10b form the sides of a foot covering by virtue of the central areas generally indicated by reference numeral 16, and the sole of the foot covering. To this end, the area indicated below the dotted line by reference numeral 18, on each panel 10a and 10b, will, when in use, (as shown in FIG. I) assume the contour of the sole of the wearers foot or shoe.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the contour of the panels 100 and 10b, at the front and rear portions thereof, is substantially identical. At the front, when the foot covering is in a lay-flat condition (as is illustrated in FIG. 2), there is provided a first generally vertical margin corresponding to height generally to the width of the portion of the side panels forming the sole of the foot covering; followed by an inwardly and upwardly tapering margin 22 terminating at the free upper margins 14 of the foot covering. In this manner, the margins 22 will, when the foot covering is in use, provide a contour conforming generally to that of the wearers foot or shoe (see FIG. 1). In this case, the front margin also includes a generally vertical terminal end portion indicated by reference numeral 22' for the purpose of permitting greater conformity to the ankle area of the wearers foot. The height of the side panels 10a and 10b, in the embodiment shown, is sufficient to permit the side areas 16 of the foot covering to generally cover the lower ankle areas of the user (as shown in FIG. 1); however as mentioned previously, the height of the panels may vary desired to provide higher or lower coverage on the wearer foot andl /or ankle.

Extending rearwardly, and integrally connected to each of the side panels 10a and 10b, are a pair of tieing members 24a and 24b, which in the embodiment shown have a length sufficient to permit the tieing members to be crossed at the back or rear of a wearers foot and to be tied at the front of the wearers foot as shown in FIG. 1 and described hereinafter. Each of the tieing members 24a and 24b includes an upper free margin 26 which is substantially coextensive with and a continuation of the upper free margins 14 of the panels and 10b. In the preferred embodiment shown, the tieing members extend from the top of the panels 10a and 10b downwardly a distance to approximately that at which the sole portions 18 of the panels 100 and 10b originate, which point is generally indicated by reference numerals 28. In this embodiment, the tieing members include an inwardly and upwardly extending margin indicated generally by reference numeral 30 meeting the free upper margins 26 in a generally vertical terminal portion 30'. As will be seen from FIG. 2, between the lowermost point of the tieing members indicated by reference numeral 28 and the base or lower margin 12 of the side panels there is provided a generally vertical margin indicated by reference numeral 32 which has a height preferably corresponding substantially to the width of the sole portion when the foot covering is in use. In this respect, vertical margin 32 will correspond approximately in height to vertical margin 20.

As will be seen from FIG. 2, the contour of the margins of the tieing members 24a and 24b as well as the vertical margin 32 are substantially identical to those of the front portion of the shoe covering i.e., margins 20 and 22.

The covering illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, when intended for operating room use will preferably include or be made of a suitable anti-static material, or in the alternative, will include an anti-static strip as indicated by reference numeral 34, according to conventional techniques and practices. However, this is not necessary in all cases, since many hospital floors are constructed so as to eliminate the requirement that foot coverings be of the type described i.e., including antistatic strip or be made of anti-static material. As included, the strip 34 may be of any suitable material, again according to conventional techniques, for this purpose. Generally, it may be secured to the sole area 18 of the foot covering, leaving a free end portion (as shown in FIG. 2) which may then be tucked inside the foot covering when in use (as shown in FIG. I)

In the embodiment illustrated where the foot covering is made of a single continuous length of material, it

7 is only necessary to secure together the free marginal areas. to form at least a partial enclosure therebetween for a users foot to be inserted. Tothis end, as explained hereinbefore, any suitable means for securing the panels' a and 10b at the front margins 22, may be employed. The embodiment illustrated includes stitching 36 for this purpose; which stitching preferably extends along margin 20 to provide a completely enclosed area.

In use, as shown in FIG. 1, the product of FIG. 2 is merely opened and the users foot inserted between the side panels 10a and 10b; following which the tieing members 24a and 2412 may then be crossedat the back or rear of the wearers foot and brought forward and tied in a suitable knot (indicated by reference numeral 40). As will be'seen, the foot covering of the present invention may provide a completely enclosed area for V the shoe or foot of the wearer.

Referring now to FIGS- 4 to 6, and to the method of the present invention, the general schematic steps and operations required to produce the product of FIGS. 1 to 3 is illustrated. In this method, the embodiment illustrated utilizes a single continuous length of suitable flexible material (such as a web W) and subjected to a folding operation to fold the webabout its longitudinal axis and along a fold line indicated in dotted lines in FIG. '4, by reference numeral 50. The web W has a width, in the transverse direction of the web, corresponding to the desired width of the sole and side heights of the final product. Thus, the width of the web W may be varied as desired to provide the desired'type of foot covering.

The initial folding operation may be carried out by any suitable conventional means, such as a sheet folder,

and forms a pair of substantially coextensive panels which will ultimately result in the formation of side panels 10a and 10b as well, as tieing members 24a and 24b of the product illustrated in FIG. 1. Following the initial folding operation, there is obtained the continuous length of sheet material illustrated in FIG. 5. Although FIG. 5 illustrates the formation of a separate roll 52 of the folded web W, this separate operation may be eliminated if desired and the folded web may be subsequently processed without the necessity of this operation.

The folded material is then severed into foot covering lengths, the severing line of cutting being carried out (in the case of the production of the product of FIGS. 1 to 3) along a generally S-shaped outline designated by reference numeral 54. In this matter, as will become evident, each cut from the continuous web W along the lone 54 will simultaneously form, by severing, the back or rear end of the foot covering including the tieing members 24a and 24b, and the front portion of a subsequent foot covering.

- Cutting of the folded web W to form foot covering lengths for the products of the present, invention may be carried out by any suitable means, as for example, manual cutting, machine cutting (by use of, e.g., stencils), etc. The specific manner of cutting will depend on the type of material required in the case of thermoplastic or other similar resins, these may be die-cut by suitable apparatus. For a continuous operation, the cutting can be carried out in a continuous in-line formation technique by folding the web, feeding the folded web through a rotating cutter and subsequently discharging the cut foot covering lengths or portions to a subsequent sealing operation.

Sealing of the foot lengths of material along the margins 20 and 22 of the product, may as explained before, be accomplished with the use of adhesives, stitching, heat-sealing, etc., the precise method depending on the type of material. In the case of thermoplastic material, sealing along the front margins 20 and 22 of the product can be carried out while simultaneously cutting along the line 54. v

It will be understood that the above-described embodiments are preferred forms and techniques for the products and method of the present invention; and that others will readily be obvious upon reading the teachings of the present disclosure. Thus, as desired, the length portion of the shoe may be treated to remove any excess material, etc.

As will be seen from the above description, the products of the present invention have many advantageous I features over prior art products, including, for example, the fact that they are very simple to manufacture, the provisions of the tieing members, derived from the side panels of the foot covering provide effective and simple tieing members eliminating the necessity of attaching separate tieing members, etc.

What I claim is:

1. A foot covering of a length of flexible material, said foot covering comprising a pair of opposed similar panels joined together along a bottom edge thereof and forining therebetween a sole portion for said foot covering, said panels being further joined together about a front margin along a side adjacent said bottom margin to form therebetween at least a partially enclosed area adapted to at least partially enclose a foot or shoe of a,

user, and integral extensions of said opposed panels extending rearwardly thereof and forming a pair of tieing members, each of said opposed panels, in a lay-flat condition, including a front margin having a first portion exupwardly from the base of said panel and-second portion tapering inwardly and upwardly. from said first portion to the top of said panel, each said panel including a rear margin having a substantially similar contour to the contour of the margin of said front portion of said panel, whereby said rear margin has a first portion extending upwardly from the base of said panel and a second upwardly and rearwardly extending portion forming the lower margin of said tieing member, the portions of the front and rear margins extending upwardly from the base having a height corresponding approximately to the width of the sole portion formed by said side panels when said foot covering is mounted on afoot or shoe.

2. The product of claim 1, wherein said foot covering comprises a single continuous length of flexible sheet material, said sheet material being folded about its longitudinal axis to form said pair of opposed panels.

3. The product of claim 1, wherein said foot covering comprises a pair of non-integral lengths of substantially coextensive flexible material, said lengths being joined together along their bottom margin to form said pair of the tie member for another foot covering, repeating said severance at predetermined lengths along the continuous length of flexible material to form a plurality of severed lengths of material for a plurality of foot coverings, and securing together at least a portion of the front margin of each severed length to form between the panels at least a partially enclosed area adapted to at least partially enclose a shoe or foot of the user.

8. A method according to claim 7 which comprises folding a web of continuous flexible material to provide said continuous length of flexible material, the said panels being joined together integrally along said longitudinal edge thereof.

9. A method of forming a plurality of the foot coverings as defined in claim 7 which comprises providing a pair of opposed substantially coextensive panels each formed of flexible material, severing said panels to form the front margin for one foot covering while simultaneously, with the same severance, forming the tie member for another foot covering, repeating said severance at predetermined lengths along the opposed panels to form a plurality of severed lengths of material for a plurality of foot coverings, and securing together at least a portion of the front margin and the bottom longitudinal edge of each severed length to form between the panels at least a partially enclosed area adapted to at least partially enclose a shoe or foot of the user.

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT N0. 3,869,6 r7 DATED March t, 1975 INVENTOR( 1 Cooper, Richard D.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In Column 6, line 1 after the word "vary" insert the word "as" In Column 6, line 15, the word 'fwearer" should read "wearer's" InColumn 7, line &6, after the word "severing" insert the word "or" In Column 7, line 52, the word"lone" should read "line" In the Claims, Column 8,1ine 37, the word "ex-upwardly" should read "extending upwardly" In the Claims, Column 8, line 37, after the word "and" insert the word Signal and Scaled this v twenty-second Day Of Jane 1976 [SEAL] v Attest:

f RU'lI-I c. msou c. MARSHALL DANN A! 188N718 fficer Commissioner uflarents and Trademarks UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT N0. 3,869,6 r7

DATED 1 March 1975 V I Cooper, Richard D.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In Column 6, line 1 after the word "vary" insert the word "as" In Column 6, line 15, the word "wearer" should read "wearer's" a In Column 7, line +6, after the word "severing" insert the word "or" In Column 7, line 52, the word"lone" should read "line" In "the Claims, Column 8 ,line 37, the word "ex-upwardly" should read "extending upwardly" In the Claims, Column 8, line 37, after the word "and" insert the word "a" e Signed and Scaled this twenty-second Day Of June 1976 [SEAL] Anesr:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Ojfl'cer Commissioner oflarents and Trademarks 

1. A foot covering of a length of flexible material, said foot covering comprising a pair of opposed similar panels joined together along a bottom edge thereof and forming therebetween a sole portion for said foot covering, said panels being further joined together about a front margin along a side adjacent said bottom margin to form therebetween at least a partially enclosed area adapted to at least partially enclose a foot or shoe of a user, and integral extensions of said opposed panels extending rearwardly thereof and forming a pair of tieing members, each of said opposed panels, in a lay-flat condition, including a front margin having a first portion ex- upwardly from the base of said panel and second portion tapering inwardly and upwardly from said first portion to the top of said panel, each said panel including a rear margin having a substantially similar contour to the contour of the margin of said front portion of said panel, whereby said rear margin has a first portion extending upwardly from the base of said panel and a second upwardly and rearwardly extending portion forming the lower margin of said tieing member, the portions of the front and rear margins extending upwardly from the base having a height corresponding approximately to the width of the sole portion formed by said side panels when said foot covering is mounted on a foot or shoe.
 2. The product of claim 1, wherein said foot covering comprises a single continuous length of flexible sheet material, said sheet material being folded about its longitudinal axis to form said pair of opposed panels.
 3. The product of claim 1, wherein said foot covering comprises a pair of non-integral lengths of substantially coextensive flexible material, said lengths being joined together along their bottom margin to form said pair of panels.
 4. The product of Claim 1, which includes at least one conductive strip connected to said foot covering.
 5. The product of claim 1, wherein said foot covering is made from a flexible length of material selected from the group consisting of woven materials, nonwoven materials, resinous films, resinous film coated woven or nonwoven materials, resinous film-coated paper, and metal foil materials.
 6. The product of claim 1, wherein the tieing members have a length sufficient to permit each of said tieing members to extend to the front portion of the covering.
 7. A method of forming a plurality of foot coverings which comprises providing a continuous length of flexible material having a pair of opposed substantially coextensive panels, said panels being joined together along a longitudinal edge thereof, severing said material to form the front margin for one foot covering while simultaneously, with the same severance, forming the tie member for another foot covering, repeating said severance at predetermined lengths along the continuous length of flexible material to form a plurality of severed lengths of material for a plurality of foot coverings, and securing together at least a portion of the front margin of each severed length to form between the panels at least a partially enclosed area adapted to at least partially enclose a shoe or foot of the user.
 8. A method according to claim 7 which comprises folding a web of continuous flexible material to provide said continuous length of flexible material, the said panels being joined together integrally along said longitudinal edge thereof.
 9. A method of forming a plurality of the foot coverings as defined in claim 7 which comprises providing a pair of opposed substantially coextensive panels each formed of flexible material, severing said panels to form the front margin for one foot covering while simultaneously, with the same severance, forming the tie member for another foot covering, repeating said severance at predetermined lengths along the opposed panels to form a plurality of severed lengths of material for a plurality of foot coverings, and securing together at least a portion of the front margin and the bottom longitudinal edge of each severed length to form between the panels at least a partially enclosed area adapted to at least partially enclose a shoe or foot of the user. 